Floor tile installation tool and method of using the same

ABSTRACT

An installation tool for installing floor tiles includes a base and an arm. The base and the arm each have opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing sides. The sides of the base extend substantially perpendicular to the sides of the arm. At least one spacer is provided on at least one of the sides of the base and at least one spacer is provided on at least one of the sides of the arm. Each of the spacers has an alignment member extending substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the base and the arm. Each of the alignment members has a thickness equal to a desired spacing between adjacent floor tiles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an installation tool for installing floor tiles, particularly floor tiles comprising a top layer and a bottom layer adhered together in an offset relationship such that a marginal end portion of a top surface of the bottom layer and a marginal end portion of a bottom surface of the top layer are exposed and wherein at least one of the marginal end portions has an adhesive. The invention further relates to a method of using an installation tool to install the floor tiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A groutable floor system is typically formed by adhering a plurality of floor tiles to a subfloor or an underlayment. The floor tiles are adhered to the subfloor or the underlayment such that a space is provided between ends of the adjacent floor tiles. Grout is then provided in the space between the ends of the adjacent floor tiles. Aligning the floor tiles so that the space between the ends of the adjacent floor tiles is straight and consistent is difficult and time consuming. It is therefore known to use an installation tool to assist with the alignment and spacing of the floor tiles. An example of such an installation tool is shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0121027 A1.

The aforementioned installation tools, however, are designed to be used with floor tiles that are adhered directly to a subfloor or underlayment using a wet adhesive or thinset mortars. Because the adhesive or thinset mortar is wet when the floor tiles are installed, the floor tiles and/or the installation tools are capable of being shifted or slid until the desired positioning and spacing is achieved. These installation tools are therefore not suitable for use with floor tiles wherein the adhesive used to attach the floor tiles is an “instant bond” adhesive. An “instant bond” adhesive is an adhesive that has practically zero tolerance for misalignment. In other words, once the floor tile engages the “instant bond” adhesive, the floor tile cannot be shifted or slid into a new position. Thus, the “instant bond” adhesive prevents the floor tiles and/or the installation tools from being shifted or slid until the desired positioning and spacing is achieved. Such a floor tile would include, for example, a floor tile that comprises a top layer and a bottom layer adhered together in an offset relationship such that a marginal end portion of a top surface of the bottom layer and a marginal end portion of a bottom surface of the top layer are exposed and at least one of the marginal end portions has an “instant grab” adhesive for adhering to at least one of the marginal end portions of the adjacent floor tiles. An example of such a floor tile is shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0247834 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

It is therefore desirable to develop an installation tool that is capable of quickly and easily aligning and positioning floor tiles in a groutable floor system, particularly a groutable floor system wherein the adhesive used to attach the floor tiles is an “instant grab” adhesive.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an installation tool for installing floor tiles comprising a base and an arm. The base and the arm each have opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing sides. The sides of the base extend substantially perpendicular to the sides of the arm. At least one spacer is provided on at least one of the sides of the base and at least one spacer is provided on at least one of the sides of the arm. Each of the spacers has an alignment member extending substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the base and the arm. Each of the alignment members has a thickness equal to a desired spacing between adjacent floor tiles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation tool according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the installation tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a floor tile according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a method of installing the floor tile of FIG. 3 using the installation tool of FIGS. 1-2.

FIG. 5 is a further schematic illustration of the method of installing the floor tile of FIG. 3 using the installation tool of FIGS. 1-2.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a groutable floating floor system.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

FIGS. 1-2 show an installation tool 1 for installing floor tiles 40 (FIG. 3) according to an embodiment of the invention. A shown in FIGS. 1-2, the installation tool 1 comprises a base 2 and an arm 3. The base 2 is substantially rectangular in shape and has opposing top and bottom surfaces 4, 5, opposing sides 6, and opposing ends 9. The base 2 has a thickness or height of about 0.5-0.75 inches. In the illustrated embodiment, the top surface 4 is formed to be identical to the bottom surface 5, so that the base 2 is reversible. As shown in FIG. 2, the sides 6 of the base 2 are provided with spacer attachment apertures 7. The spacer attachment apertures 7 are spaced along the sides 6 of the base 2 in a longitudinal direction thereof. The spacer attachment apertures 7 extend from the top surface 4 to the bottom surface 5 of the base 2. Cutouts 8 are formed in the base 2 adjacent the spacer attachment apertures 7. The cutouts 8 extend inward from the sides 6. Arm attachment apertures 10 are provided on at least one of the ends 9 of the base 2. The arm attachment apertures 10 are spaced along the end 9 of the base 2 and extend from the top surface 4 to the bottom surface 5 thereof. Corners 11 of the end 9 of the base 2 having the arm attachment apertures 10 are provided with viewing cutouts 12. The viewing cutouts 12 extend inward from the corners 11 of the base 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, handle attachment apertures 13 are formed in a substantial center of the base 2. The handle attachment apertures 13 are spaced along the longitudinal direction of the base 2 and extend from the top surface 4 to the bottom surface 5 thereof. A handle 14 may optionally be attached to the top surface 4 or the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 via the handle attachment apertures 13. The handle 14 may be attached to the base 2, for example, by inserting attachment members 15 through apertures 16 in the handle and into the handle attachment apertures 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment members 15 are removable attachment members, such as screws. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that other attachment members may be used. Openings 17 are provided on opposite sides of the handle attachment apertures 13. The openings 17 extend from the top surface 4 to the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 and are configured such that an installer could effectively grasp the base 2 from either the top surface 4 or the bottom surface 5 when the base 2 is used without the handle 14. Because the handle 14 can be positioned on either the top surface 4 or the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 and the openings 17 can be used from either the top surface 4 or the bottom surface 5 of the base 2, the installation tool 1 can easily accommodate a right-handed installer or a left-handed installer, as well as various installation configurations.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 3 is substantially rectangular in shape and has opposing top and bottom surfaces 18, 19, opposing sides 20, and opposing ends 21. The arm 3 has a thickness or height of about 0.5-0.75 inches. In the illustrated embodiment, the top surface 18 is formed to be identical to the bottom surface 19, so that the arm 3 is reversible. At least one of the sides 20 of the arm 3 is provided with at least one spacer attachment aperture 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the spacer attachment aperture 22 is arranged proximate one of the ends 21. The spacer attachment aperture 22 extends from the top surface 18 to the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3. A cutout 23 is formed in the arm 3 adjacent the spacer attachment aperture 22. The cutout 23 extends inward from the side 20.

The side 20 of the arm 3 provided with the spacer attachment aperture 22 is additionally provided with a pair of base attachment members 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the base attachment members 24 are arranged proximate the end 21 of the arm opposite from the spacer attachment aperture 22. The base attachment members 24 extend away from the arm 3 and are each provided with a base receiving slot 25. The base receiving slot 25 extends substantially parallel to the top surface 18 and the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3. A base attachment aperture 26 extends through the base attachment members 24 from the top surface 18 to the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3 and communicates with the base receiving slot 25. Positioning members 27 are arranged substantially between the base attachment members 24. At least one positioning member 27 extends away from the arm 3 from the top surface 18, and at least one positioning member 27 extends away from the arm 3 from the bottom surface 19. In the illustrated embodiment, the positioning members 27 are offset from each other. Viewing cutouts 28 flank the base attachment members 24. The viewing cutouts 28 correspond to the shape and location of the viewing cutouts 12 of the base 2. The viewing cutouts 28 inward from the side 20 of the arm 3.

The arm 3 is attached to the base 2 by inserting the end 9 of the base 2 having the arm attachment apertures 10 between the positioning members 27 and into the base receiving slot 35 of the base attachment members 24 such that the arm attachment apertures 10 substantially align with the base attachment apertures 26. The attachment members 15 are then inserted through the arm attachment apertures 10 and into the base attachment apertures 26 to attach the arm 3 to the base 2. Because the arm 3 is reversible, the arm 3 can be attached to the base 2 such that the arm 3 extends from either of the sides 6 of the base 2 thereby accommodating a right-handed installer or a left-handed installer, as well as various installation configurations. When the arm 3 is attached to the base 2, the arm 3 extends substantially perpendicular to the base 3 and forms a substantially L-shape therewith, and the viewing cutouts 12 of the base 2 and the viewing cutouts 28 of the arm 3 communicate to create alignment windows 33 where the sides 6 of the arm 3 and the sides 20 of the base 2 intersect.

Spacers 29 are attached to the base 2 and the arm 3. The spacers 29 each comprise a body 32 and an alignment member 31. The body 32 is substantially planar and is provided with an attachment member receiving opening 30. The alignment member 31 extends substantially perpendicular to the body 32 and has a thickness substantially equal to a desired spacing 63 (FIG. 5) between the adjacent floor tiles 40 (FIG. 5). In the illustrated embodiment, the alignment member 31 is substantially cylindrical in shape, however, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other geometrical configurations are possible to achieve the desired spacing 63 (FIG. 5) between the adjacent floor tiles 40. The spacers 32 are attached to at least one of the sides 6 of the base 2 and at least one of the sides 20 of the arm 3 by inserting the attachment member 15 through the attachment member receiving opening 30 and into the spacer attachment apertures 7, 22. When the spacers 32 are attached to the base 2 and the arm 3, the alignment members 31 are received in the cutouts 8, 23. The alignment members 31 extend beyond the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 and the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3 an amount about equal to or less than a thickness of a top layer 41 (FIG. 3) of the floor tile 40 (FIG. 3). Because the spacers 29 are removable from the base 2 and the arm 3, the desired spacing 63 (FIG. 5) between the adjacent floor tiles 40 (FIG. 5) can easily be varied by simply replacing the spacers 29 with spacers having alignment member 31 of a desired thickness. Additionally, because both of the sides 6 of the base 2 are provided with spacer attachment apertures 7, the spacers 29 can be attached to either of the sides 6 of the base 2 thereby accommodating a right-handed installer or a left-handed installer, as well as various installation configurations.

In the illustrated embodiment, the installation tool 1 including the base 2, the arm 3, the handle 14, and the spacers 29 and are all separately formed of an injection molded or machined plastic material. The plastic material may be, for example, a thermoplastic material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acrylic, or polyolefin, or a fiber filled thermoplastic material, such as nylon, acrylic, or polycarbonate. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that the entire installation tool 1 and/or select elements thereof may also be integrally formed in one piece and/or made from other materials, as long as the material is sufficiently rigid to avoid deformation during use of the installation tool 1. Other materials may include, for example, metal, hardwood, plywood, or combinations thereof.

FIGS. 3-7 show a method of installing the floor tile 40 using the installation tool 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the floor tiles 40 are installed on a subfloor 60 as a groutable floating floor system 61. In the embodiment shown and described herein, the floor tiles 40 comprise a top layer 41 and a bottom layer 42, as shown in FIG. 3. The top layer 41 may comprise multiple layers or a single layer and may be made, for example, from a substantially flexible sheet material, such as plastic, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, linoleum, or combinations thereof. The bottom layer 42 may comprise multiple layers or a single layer and may be made, for example, from a film or tape comprising plastic, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyolefin, nylon, or combinations thereof.

A bottom surface 43 of the top layer 41 is laminated to a top surface 44 of the bottom layer 42 by an adhesive 45 such that opposing first ends 48 of the top layer 41 are offset in a direction of length L from opposing first ends 50 of the bottom layer 42 and opposing second ends 49 of the top layer 41 are offset in a direction of width W from opposing second ends 51 of the bottom layer 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive 45 is provided on substantially an entirety of the top surface 44 of the bottom layer 42. Thus, due to the offset of the top layer 41 relative to the bottom layer 42, a substantially L-shaped marginal end portion of the top surface 44 of the bottom layer 42 remains exposed to form an adhesive surface 46, and a substantially L-shaped marginal end portion of the bottom surface 43 of the top layer 41 remains exposed to form an attachment surface 47. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the adhesive 45 may also be provided on the marginal end portion of the bottom surface 43 of the top layer 41 instead of or in addition to the top surface 44 of the bottom layer 42 depending on the type and characteristics of the adhesive 45 used to achieve optimum adhesion and bond strength when adhering the adjacent floor panels 40. The adhesive 45 may be, for example, any suitable adhesive, such as a hot melt adhesive, a pressure sensitive adhesive, or a structural and/or reactive adhesive. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive 45 is an “instant bond” adhesive.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the floor tiles 40 are not limited to the structure shown and described herein. For example, the floor tiles 40 may be any known groutable floor tiles, including floor tiles that do not include a top layer offset from a bottom layer. Additionally, the floor tiles 40 are not limited to floor tiles made from a flexible sheet material. Other materials are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention, such as ceramic, natural stone, or the like. Further, although the floor tiles 40 shown and described herein have a substantially square geometrical configuration, the floor tiles 40 are not limited thereto. For example, the floor tiles 40 may alternatively have a substantially rectangular geometrical configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, in the groutable floating floor system 61, the alignment members 31 of the installation tool 1 are used to create the desired spacing 63 between the adjacent floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, 40 d. As shown in FIG. 4, in order to create the desired spacing 63, the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 and the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3 are positioned adjacent to the top layers 41 a, 41 b, 41 c of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, such that the alignment members 31 of the spacers 29 provided on the base 2 abut the first end 48 c of the top layer 41 of the floor tile 40 c, and the alignment member 31 of the spacer 29 provided on the arm 3 abuts the second end 48 b of the top layer 41 of the floor tile 40 b. Because the alignment members 31 of the spacers 29 extend beyond the bottom surface 5 of the base 2 and the bottom surface 19 of the arm 3 an amount about equal to or less than a thickness of a top layer 41 (FIG. 3) of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, the alignment members 31 do not engage the adhesive surface 46 of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c and thereby do not interfere with the installation of the floor tile 40 d.

As shown in FIG. 5, to install the floor tile 40 d, the first end 48 d of the floor tile 40 d is caused to abut the alignment members 31 of the spacers 29 provided on the base 2, and the second end 49 d of the floor tile 40 d is caused to abut the alignment member 31 of the spacer 29 provided on the arm 3. The bottom surface 43 d of the top layer 41 d of the floor tile 40 d is then lowered into contact with the adhesive surfaces 46 a, 46 b, 46 c of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c to adhere the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, 40 d together. Once the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, 40 d are adhered together, the installation tool 1 is removed from the top layers 41 of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, leaving the desired spacing 63 between the first and second ends 48 a, 48 b, 48 c, 49 a, 49 b, 49 c of the top layers 41 a, 41 b, 41 c, 41 d of the floor tiles 40 a, 40 b, 40 c, 40 d. The process is repeated until the desired number of the floor tiles 40 covers the subfloor 60.

As shown in FIGS. 6-7, grout 62 is then provided in the desired spacing 63. The grout 62 may be, for example, any conventional flooring grout. Because the method of grouting the floor tiles 40 is well known in the art, further description thereof has been omitted.

The installation tool 1 therefore enables the quick and easy installation of the groutable floating floor system 61 even though the adhesive used to attach the floor tiles 40 is an “instant grab” adhesive. Additionally, because the height or thickness of the base 2 and the arm 3 is about 0.5-0.75 inches, the spacers 28 are positioned a reasonable height above the top surfaces 4, 18 of the base 2 and the arm 3. Thus, the floor tiles 40 are easy to align with the alignment members 31, and undesired contact with the “instant grab” adhesive is more easily avoided. Further, because the arm 3 is removable from the base 2, the installation tool 1 can also be used when installing the floor tiles 40 adjacent a wall or a corner of a room.

The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although the installation tool 1 is shown and described herein as being used to install a groutable floating floor system, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the installation tool 1 could also be used to install a groutable floor system that is adhered directly to a sub-floor or underlayment. Additionally, the installation tool could have other applications, such as being used to install wall tiles, furniture tiles, deck boards, or other structures requiring a desired spacing there between. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents. 

1. An installation tool for installing floor tiles, comprising: a base and an arm, the base and the arm each having opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing sides, the sides of the base extending substantially perpendicular to the sides of the arm; and at least one spacer provided on at least one of the sides of the base and at least one spacer provided on at least one of the sides of the arm, each of the spacers having an alignment member extending substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the base and the arm, each of the alignment members having a thickness equal to a desired spacing between adjacent floor tiles.
 2. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the spacers are removable from the base and the arm.
 3. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of at least the arm or the base is identical such that at least the arm or the base is reversible.
 4. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein an alignment window is provided where the side of the arm and the side of the base intersect.
 5. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the side of the base and the side of the arm provided with the spacers include cutouts that receive the alignment members.
 6. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the base is provided with at least a pair of openings or a handle for an installer to grasp the base.
 7. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the alignment member extends beyond the bottom surface of the base and the bottom surface of the arm.
 8. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the base and the arm are made of an injection molded or machined plastic material.
 9. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the base and the arm have a thickness or height of about 0.5-0.75 inches.
 10. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the arm is attached to the base such that the arm forms a substantially L-shape therewith.
 11. The installation tool of claim 10, wherein the arm is attachable to an end of the base such that the arm extends from either of the sides of the base.
 12. The installation tool of claim 1, wherein the floor tiles comprise a top layer and a bottom layer adhered together in an offset relationship such that a marginal end portion of a top surface of the bottom layer and a marginal end portion of a bottom surface of the top layer are exposed and wherein at least one of the marginal end portions has an adhesive.
 13. The installation tool of claim 12, wherein the alignment member extends beyond the bottom surface of the base and the bottom surface of the arm an amount about equal to or less than a thickness of the top layer. 